Process of reducing ores.



PATENTED SEPT. 18, 190s.

J. HERMAN. PROCESS OF REDUCING ORES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.15. 1905.

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Ziii? w vtmwoeo ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HERMAN, 0F LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

PROCESS OF nspucme ORES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 15,1905. Serial No. 278.652

Patented Sept. 18, 1906.

utility and advantageswill be fully understood from the following description when the same is considered in connection with the accompan ng drawings, forming part of this speci oat1on,:in which- Fi re 1 is a-vertical cross-section of the nove apparatus which I prefer to employ in carrying out the process, and Fig. 2 is a detail section taken at right angles to Fig. 1 and illustrating the offset in the pipes for supplying air to the shaft downwhich the ore passes to the reducing compartment or receptacle.

In practicing myprocess I burn carbonaceous fuel in a suitable com artment and in such manner as to form car on monoxid, as well as carbon dioxid, and put the resultant hot gases in contactwith oxidized ores. I prefer to crush the ores to be treated to a suitable size-sa three-fourths of an inchand to put the before-mentioned hot gases in contact therewith by passing the gases through or over the ores in a compartment other than that in which the carbonaceous fuel burned. In virtue of the step described it will be observed that the oxids are reduced to metallic globes if the temperature is higher than the melting-point of -'the metal'reduced pr to a powdery mass if the'temperature is C1120+C02. "CllzO-j 20114-002.

PbO+CO= Pol-CO2.

In the event of the ore to be treated bearing copper and being comparatively free from acid-destroying components I prefer to produce the metal at a low temperature and extract the copper through the agenc of a solution of cupric chlorid and salt an electrolyze the cuprous chlorid resulting from such operation with a deposition of copper nace I first pass the ore zone, Where many undesirable elements are married, and then cause the ore to and the regeneration of cupric chlorid in accordance with wellknown reactions. I

CuCl2+Cu=2CuCL 2CuCl+current= CuCh-F Cu.

If preferable, the same results ma be obtained by substituting ferric ch orid for cupric chlorid, as follows:

FeGls+Cu:(Jl+FeCl2.

By electrolysis:

CuCl +FeCl2 Ou+ FeCls.

If, on the other hand, the ore is not adapted to the treatment just described, I heat the ore, sufficiently to form metallic globules and concentrate such globules by Well-known means.

With a view of utilizing the full heat value of the fuel. I inject air into theore-compartment at a oint where it will not interfere with the su sequent reduction of the ore. I prefer to inject this scending ore at a point above that at which the ore is reduced and to depend on such air to burn or promote. the combustion of the surplus carbon monoxid and liberate heat whereby the ore is heatedbefore entering the reducing part of the apparatus orfurnace employed. Another advantage follows from injecting the air as stated, viz.: Any sulfids that are present are oxidized and rendered fit for reduction.

' In feeding the ore to the'apparatus or furthrough an oxidizing eliminated, and a reducing zone, in the order *ive up its heat. to blast-pipes Which return t e heat to the-blast entering the apparatus or furnace.

Subse uent to the operations described the ore is'eif her leached with cupric chlorid or ferric chlorid and electrolyzed or is concentratedaccording to existing conditions. By merely changing the proportions between carbon monoxid and carbon dioxid the reduction of metals can be Well controlled. For instance, b having the ratio of carbon monoxid to car on dioxid less than two to one iron oxids Will not be reduced to metallic condiair into a body ofvdeto reduce oxidized ore's by it feasible tion. The ratio of the gas may be and prefiraibly is controlled by the depth of the-fuel- My process is materially advantageous, since it provides a means for obtaining copper or other metals without the use of fluxes or acids, and the absence of molten slag renders to dispense with water-j ackets for the furnace. It will also be noted that In process is economical because of the utilization of the inexpensive hot blast to reduce fuel consumption.

I am aware that attempts have been made mixing ore and fuel direct. When this is done, however, the portions of ore nearest the points of entry of the blast are necessarily exposed to oxida tion, thereby defeating the object of treatment. I am also aware of methods for reducin iron ores; but in these no attempts have een made to isolate different metals nor to render the ores suitable for the treatment proposed, the iron in such cases being left as a metallic sponge. In my method the hot gases are generated in a separate compartment, and their composition is regulated and the temperature to which the ore is heatedis regulated by varying the amount of ore passed through the furnace in proportion to the fuel burned.

Referrin by letter to the accompanying drawings, i lustrating the novel apparatus or furnace which I out the before-described process, A is an upright receptacle having a discharge a at its lower end, t irough which treated ore passes to a conveyer. (Not shown.)

B B are combustion compartments or fire-boxes located at opposite sides of the upper portion of the receptacle A and having clinker-doors C adjacent to their bottoms and water jackets or boxes D at such bot toms for the purpose of cooling the clinkers and also having hopper-shaped openings E in their tops, through which carbonaceous fuel is fed, preferably in an automatic manner, and FF are fines or passages intermediate the tops of the combustion-compartments B and the upper portion of the upright receptacle A; I

In virtue of the described relative arrangement of the parts it will be observed that the hot gases dueto combustion of carbonaceous fuel in the compartments B will pass from the flues F through or over the ores in the receptacle A and will reduce the metallic oxids to metal globes or to a powdery mass, according to the temperature, as before described. c

G is a shaft arranged above and adapted to conduct ores to the receptacle'A.

.walls of the furnace and then u directed inwardly prefer to employ in carrying passing the resultant hot gases portion of the second-mentioned- H H areheads adapted to be connected with a source for supplying air under pressure. I is a head adapted to be connected with said source of supply. I

J J are pi es leading from the heads I-I upwardly wit 'n the lower portion of the re ceptacle or compartment A and terminating in twyers b for supplying the combustioncompartments B wlth air, andM M are pipes leading from the head I upwardly within the lower portion of the receptacle or compartment A to a point slightly below the plane of the fines F. At such pointthe ipes M are carried laterally outward into t e adjacent wardly to a point a about the proportional istance illustrated above the twyers C, where they are so as to supply the shaft G with air. In virtue of the pipes J and M being carried u wardly in the lower portion of the rece tac e or compartment A, it will be observe that the air is supplied to the combustion-compartments B, and the shaft G is preheated, or, in other words, thevreduced ore is made to give up its heat, andsuch heat is returned to the furnace, which is materially advantageous-from the. standpoint of economy.

In the ractical operation of the apparatus descri ed the ore in passing through the furnace occupies an oxidizing zone-'11. e., above the plane of the twyers C, where many undesirable elements are eliminated, and then occupies a reducing zone, after which it gives up its heat to the blast-pipes J and M and passes out of the furnace to the conveyor before mentioned;

I claim- 1. The process described which consists in burning carbonaceous fuel in one compartment to form a mixture of carbon monoxid and carbon dioxid in suitable proportions, through or over ores'in another compartment to reduce the metallic oxids of the ores, feeding air to the first-mentioned compartment, and also feeding air heated by the reduced ores to the compart ment remote from the fire.

2. The process described which consists in burning carbonaceous fuel in one or more,

compartments with a blast heated by pre viously-tr eated ore', utilizing the reducing gases from said combustion in the lower portions of said compartment for the purpose of reducing ores to a condition suitable for further treatment, and utilizing the reducing gases from said combustion in the upper por tion of a separate compartment, in conjunction with air, for the purpose of oxidizing and heating ores.

3. The process described which consists in burning carbonaceous fuel in one or more separate compartments to form a mixture of carbon monoxid and carbon dioxid in suitable proportions, and passing the resultant hot gases through or over ores in another compartment for the pur ose of reducing metallic oxids to metalllc g obules, and then concentrating the said globules by known methods. s

4. The process described which consists in burning carbonaceous fuel in one or more compartments to forni a reducing atmosphere, and utilizing the resultant gases for the purpose of reducing ores in anot 161' comartment, and then concentrating the resultlng metallic globules.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' JOHN HERMAN. Witnesses:

GEO. EVERETT BAKER, FRANK L. STRANG 

